Save Bhojpuri Language and Culture

By Rahul Singh

Bhojpuri language and culture is very old. Here we are proud of being connected to Kunwar Singh, Ustaad Bismillah Khan, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Mangal Pandey, Bhikhari Thakur etc. But now Bhojpuri has been defamed as a vulgar language. Bhojpuri folk music has a rich tradition. It has so many variety which you cannot find in any other Language. Here we have songs for every occasion. But now a trend is working here to be vulgar and 'Ashlil'. If we see albums of Bhojpuri songs we feel ashamed. We cannot hear the songs in front of our family. Even Singer Like Bharat Sharma and Vishnu Ojha have started singing such songs which are 'Ashlil'. It is strange that social organisation are still tolerating such vulgarity in songs. Yes there are some genuine singers like Bimlesh Tiwari Kaushal, M. K. Singh etc.. They have sung very good songs in Bhojpuri language.. Bimlesh Kaushal's famous song "Kanhawa bhulail shabad ramaini, bisral jhanjh majira ji' is pure poetry... and melodious too... If you go through Bimlesh Kaushal's Album 'Karishma ke Bahin Chahin', you will come to know that how he has told the beauty of a woman, problem of dowry system, and family problems of the Bhojpuriyas. M. K. Singh has done the same in his album 'Ruk ja sajanwa'. Now the question is: how this difference has occurred. Bharat Sharma and all the other singers sing song for money. They are totally illiterate too. They don't think about Bhojpuri language and culture. Their main aim is to earn money. But Bimlesh Tiwari Kaushal has done MA in Hindi Literature, and doing PhD on Modernity and Folk Culture in Poetry. M. K. Singh is an IPS Officer. They want to do some work in the field of Bhojpuri language and music. It is our duty to encourage such Bhojpuri singers who think about Bhojpuri language and culture. Otherwise we will always be shamed by others that Bhojpuri means 'Gali-Galauj'.